A. Jay Cristol

A. Jay Cristol
Chief Judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida
In office
October 1, 1993 – January 13, 2023
Preceded bySidney M. Weaver
Succeeded byRobert A. Mark
Judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida
In office
April 17, 1985 – October 1, 1993
Preceded byJoseph A. Gassen
Personal details
BornA. Jay Cristol
(1929-09-25)September 25, 1929
Died21 October 2024(2024-10-21) (aged 95)
SpouseEleanor Rubin
EducationUniversity of Miami (BA, JD, PhD)
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Navy
Years of service1951-1988
RankCaptain
UnitNavy Reserve
Naval Judge Advocate General Corps
Battles/warsKorean War
Vietnam War
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A. Jay Cristol (September 25, 1929 – October 21, 2024) was an American judge, poet, author, pilot, and lecturer on naval warfare. He served as a special assistant attorney general of Florida from 1959 to 1965 and as a trustee in bankruptcy from 1977 to 1985. He was appointed judge to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida in April 1985 and served as the bankruptcy court's chief judge until his retirement in January 2023.

Cristol served as a U.S. Navy aviator and a captain in the U.S. Naval Reserve with 38 years of service in the diverse roles of both a carrier pilot and a Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG) lawyer.